Rotary engine.



R, SAUNERS.

ROTARY ENGINE,

APPLlcATloN mso MAR.

Ira Il lll/14112111111 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROY SAUNDERS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOB. TO SAUNDERS MOTOR POWERGOM- PANY, OF EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

no'rAnY ENGINE.

Specification o! Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1918.

Application tiled March 12, 1917. Serial No. 154,271.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, Ror SAUNDans, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of St, Louis and State of Missouri, have inventeda, new and useful Rotary Engine, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to rotary engines. Specifically, the present`invention has reference to a rotary engine of the type disclosed in myPatent 1,236,009, Aug. 7, 1917. The engine comprises a stationarycylinder, and a rotor operativel mounted within the cylinder, andprovide with a series of piston chambers in which the pistons aremounted. Within the cylinder the controlling mechanism for the pistonisarranged, whereby the piston is moved to and from position ofcompression, the movement of the pistons being essentially across aradial line from the axis of the rotor through 'rhs pivots ofthepistons.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism forcontrolling the operation'of the pistons in a rotary engine of the typementioned, comprising an axiully movable actuating art operativelyengaging each shaft or pivot of the pistons; whereby axial movement ofsaid actuating parts will etfect movement of the pistons to and frompositions of compression by moving the pistons across the radial lingesfrom the axis of the cylinder intersecting the pivots of the pistons, asmentioned above.

With' the foregoing and other-.objects in view, I have'produced a rotaryengine of the novel construction, combination and inode of operation ashereinafter described and claimed. i

In the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated an appropriateform of my present invention Figure lis a lonoitlulinal sectional viewof the rotor, and the piston actuating appliances. Fig. 2. is atransverse sectional view on the line i-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asectional `vievv on the line 3-3 of Fig, 2, illustrating the cam bywhich the piston actuating parts are controlled. Fig. Ltis a-transversesectional view of the rotor amleylinder on the line 4.-4 of Fig. 1.

4The engine in which l have shown the present invention embodiedcomprises a stationary cylinder 1, the heads of: which support bearingsfor the rotor shaft 2. The

rotor 3 is attached to the shaft 2, and is pro` vided with a series ofpiston chambers in cach of which a pivoted piston 4 is mounted.

Each of the pistons a is in theform of a leaf attached at its inner edgeto a shaft 5. The shafts 5 are journaled for rocking movements in'anti-friction bearings 6 su ported by the end walls of the rotor. Tileshafts 5 are parallel with the.rotor driven shaft 2, and it is byrocking the shafts 5 that the pistons are moved to and from positions ofcompression.

At one end of the motor the shafts 5 are extended toward the head of thecylinder and the'extremities of said shafts 'are journaled inanti-friction bearings 7 carried by a sleeve 8 attached to and rotatingwith the shaft 2. The extended portion of each 0f the shafts 5 is formedwith spiral grooves fl, with which the shafts actuating parts engage inorder to rock theshafts as an incident to rotation of the rotor. In theembodiment illustrated, the shafts actuating device comprises, for eachshaft, a sleeve' 10 slidably mounted on the shaft, and having recessesfor the keys operating within 'the grooves 9. The keys 11 are mountedinrecesses in, the parts 10, andengage in theA grooves 0 so that whenthe parts 10 are reciprocated axially, the shafts 5 will be rocked, itbeing understood that the parts 10 are prevented from rocking. Parts`10are held from rocking movements by spherical keys12 mounted in groovesin a sleeve 8, and engaging in complementary grooves 14 in the members1U. The grooves are of sufficient length to permit axial movement of theparts 1.0l in o )posits directions as required to rock thes afts 5.

Each of the parts 10 has' a rigidt rojee tion15, carrying a roller 16.The ro ers 16 of the members 10 operate within a cam passa e, formedbetween a member 17 and a. similarly shaped member 18, spaced from i derhead by bolts 22. The bearing 23 0f the shaft 2 is mounted 4within thecylindrical portion 21. A cylindrical partition wall 24 is attached tothe rotor, and operates upon or against a su `porting member 25, carriedby the extendcc portion 21 on one'of the earn members. A

reference to Fig. 1, it will be observed that the .rotor is wholly outof contact with the cylinder in which it is mounted, thus entirelyeliminating friction between said parts. The rotor being spaced from thecyllnder permits the water to circulate entirely arouii'cl the rotor,and into the chamber betwee the cylinder and the cylindrical partition24. The partition 24 forms an impervious joint with the member 25 sothat thc water cannot pass the partition wall. The chamber within thepartition wall 24 constitutes an oil chamber, and as isreadily apparentby reference to Fig. 1 the oil may pass between the end wall of therotor and the adjacent cam members and enter the spaces within which theshafts 5 are extended. In this way all. of the operating parts of thepiston controllin mechanism are thoroughly lubricated, an the oil isfree to circulate against all of saidparts.

By reference to Fig. 3, the construction and form of the cam passagewithin which the rollers 16 operate will be readily understood. Asillustrated, the cam passage is adjacent to the rotor at twodiametrically opposite points, and is at a considerable distance fromthe rotor at two diametricall opposite points. Said cam is symmetricallshaped so that each actuating member 1 will be moved twice in eachdirection at each revolution of the rotor. This mode of operationapplies to all of the pistons.

The mec anism described 1s absolutely positive and accurate in itsoperation and Wholly dispenses with the use of levers and. links in theactuating mechanism. The piirts are all of strong construction, and willmore eilicientl control the pistons than the usual link an levermechanism. p

` It will be understood that the construction and arrangement of thevarious parts of the invention may be varied without departing from theprinciple of the invention or from the general mode of operation. I donot restrict myself to unessential features or detailsof the device, butwhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rotary engine, a rotor, a series vof rock shafts carried by therotor, pistons attached to said shafts respectively, an axially movablemember on each of said shafts, means for reciprocating said membersaxially as the rotor rotates, and means for rocking said shafts by themovement of .said members.

2. ln a rotary engine, a rotor, pistons mounted in therotor, a shaft'foro rating each piston, a member on'each of said shafts for axialmovement, means for reciprocating said members axially as therotorloperates, anddevices whereby said members will rock said shafts asan incident to axial movement of said members.

3. In a rotary engine a rotor, pistons mounted in the rotor, a shaft.foroperatin each piston, a sleeve 4upon each of lsai shafts, means forreciprocating said sleeves axially upon the shafts as the rotor rotatesand operative connections between said ing said shafts as an inci ent torotation of the rotor. i

4. A rotary engine comprising a rotor, pistons mounted in the rotor, arock shaft attached to each piston for loperating the same, a sleevemounted for axialmo'vement upon each shaft, a cam for moving saidsleeves axiall on said shafts as an incident to rotation o the rotor,means for prevent- .sleeves and said shafts res ectively for rockingsaid sleeves from turning relatively to their own 'axes as they areoperated with` the rotor, and a key connection between each.- sleeveandthe-shaft on `which it is mounted whereby axial movement'of'the sleevewillA Vturn the shaft while' the sleeve is held from turning.

5. In a rotary engine, the combination with lthe 4piston actuating rockshafts of the rotor, of a sleeve mounted for axialmovement upon each ofsaid rook shafts, a cam, means whereby said cani will reciprocate saidsleeves axially upon said shafts" when the engine operates, and aconnection with each sleeve and the 'shaft on which it is mounted wherebaxial' movementof the sleeve will rock t e shafti 6. In a rotary engine,the combination with a rotor, pistons `mounted in the rotor and shaftsfor moving the istons, sai shafts being provided withspiralgrooves, of asleeve mounted upon each shaft for axial'movement, a key in connectionwithv for reciprocating said sleeves upon said shaft as an incident torotation of the rotor.

8. ln a rotary engine, a rotor, pistons mounted in the rotor, shaftsjournalcd in the rotor for rocking movements and being connected withthe pistons respectively, an axially reciprocating member mounted oneach shaft, a cam for reciprocating said member as an incident torotation of the rotor, an operative connection between each member andthe corresponding shaft for rocking said Shaft as an incident tomovement of said member, and a chamber for lnbrieant surrounding saidparts.

9. In a rotary engine, the combination with a rotor, pistons in therotor, rock shafts for actuating the pistons and provided with spiralgrooves, of a sleeve mounted for axial reciprocation upon each rockshaft, u

key movable' by each sleeve in the siiral groove formed in thecorresponding siaft, :i com, a projection on each sleeve, a roller onsaid projection operating against the com effectively to reciprocate thesleeve on said shaft. as the rotor rotates, and an oil chamber adaptedto contain n` lubricant in which said ports operate.

In witness whereof, I have signed this specification.

ROY SAUNDERS.

